Search Engine Marketing: Google Adwords Costs For Banks & Credit Unions

By Jeffry Pilcher

Published on May 14th, 2012 in Digital Marketing

Every time someone types a financial related term into Google, there are banks and credit unions paying to have their ads placed atop the search results. The neat thing about Google AdWords is that you don’t pay until someone clicks. Some search terms only costs a few cents per click, while other more valuable and popular terms can run you a few bucks. With the Google AdWords interface, you can control how much you’re willing to pay per click, and how much you’re willing to spend every day. If you hit your spending limit, Google simply stops showing your ads. It’s a pretty slick system… if you have someone responsible for tightly managing and massaging your campaigns. A "set-it-and-forget-it" strategy probably isn’t going to pay off.

Here’s a breakdown of who’s paying for what, how much it costs, how many keywords they use and how many clicks they get. The data is divided into four main groups: Banks, Credit Unions, Consumer Search Terms and Geographical Search Terms. There are two bonus sections at the end showing how financial institutions are targeted through Google AdWords by industry vendors and trade groups.

Banks Using Google AdWords

BankDaily BudgetKeywords UsedPaid Clicks
Bank of America$15,830 – $29,42059,37328,700
Bank of the West$476 – $1,0003,335439
Bankrate.com$22,500 – $38,59064,39829,500
BB&T$303 – $9126,849404
Charter One$931 – $2,0102,6951,020
Chase$27,620 – $33,54040,69231,700
Citi$929 – $4,4908,8072,370
Citizens$229 – $5981,872127
Deluxe$6K – $13K19,8057,680
DepositAccounts.com$69 – $111501114
Fifth Third Bank$570 – $9082,870659
First Tennessee$96 – $290722142
Harris$1,500 – $2,7302,6461,520
LendingTree$12,080 – $23,62029,61816,500
MyBankTracker$170 – $59717598
PNC$5,070 – $8,07027,1116,960
Quicken Loans$43,960 – $44,63037,53246,100
Regions Bank$290 – $7789,219217
SunTrust Bank$404 – $68010,878591
Susquehanna$13 – $27174
Umpqua Bank0340
US Bank$4,130 – $9,54015,8647,470
USAA$9,950 – $20,43054,31217,300
Wells Fargo$5,040 – $14,68058,00911,100

Credit Unions Using Google AdWords

Out of the top 20 biggest credit unions in the U.S., 11 are running Google Adwords campaigns (55%). Navy FCU, the biggest credit union in the world, also has the biggest AdWords budget — probably around $1 million annually.

Credit UnionDaily BudgetKeywords UsedPaid Clicks
Navy FCU$1,220 – $6,87028,6274,640
Pentagon Federal$681 – $2,7006,0281,510
BECU$241 – $68822,924151
Golden 1$1.02 – $4.192282
Security Service FCU$25.28 – $68.534814
San Diego County$66.85 – $153.954419
CEFCU$7.75 – $22.974605
Alaska USA$9.37 – $38.45173
Randolph Brooks$105.42 – $303.0717461
Delta Community$29 – $1073,47328
IBM SE$6 – $191063
Associated$80 – $21034452
Georgia United$40 – $872,85020
Fairwinds$15 – $30244

Common Consumer Search Terms

Keyword(s)Cost/ClickSearches/DayClicks/Day
mortgage$1.16 – $1.42304,6674,190 – 5,280
mortgage rates$0.67 – $0.8340,6676,380 – 8,860
home loan$0.83 – $1.0133,3331,440 – 2,000
foreclosure$0.64 – $0.7891,3332,560 – 3,550
short sale$0.48 – $0.5827,433563 – 782
reverse mortgage$2.20 – $2.706,700182 – 253
home equity loan$1.24 – $1.524,500160 – 223
car loan$1.12 – $1.3822,433964 – 1,340
auto loan$0.62 – $0.7627,433792 – 1,100
credit union$0.83 – $1.03553,333989 – 1,370
bank account$1.19 – $1.4722,433564 – 784
checking account$1.18 – $1.4618,333581 – 807
debit card$0.75 – $0.9322,433595 – 827
direct deposit$0.96 – $1.188,200136 – 189
online bill pay$0.90 – $1.108,200171 – 237
money market account$1.29 – $1.593,01794 – 131
cd rates$1.77 – $2.1712,267509 – 707
savings account$1.12 – $1.3815,000494 – 686
fico score$1.08 – $1.323,66764 – 89
personal loan$1.18 – $1.4615,000362 – 503
boat loan$0.59 – $0.731,35050 – 69
rv loan$0.62 – $0.7674017 – 23
motorcycle loan$0.64 – $0.781,10343 – 60
business loan$1.53 – $1.8912,267293 – 408
business checking$1.97 – $2.432,46751 – 72

Geographically Specific Search Terms

KeywordsCost/ClickSearches/DayClicks/Day
new york bank$0.39 – $0.4718,3333 – 5
california bank$0.93 – $1.1515,0003 – 4
texas bank$0.93 – $1.1518,3339 – 12
kansas bank$5.02 – $6.184,5000
boston bank$0.56 – $0.683,6672
houston bank$1.31 – $1.612,4670
seattle bank$0.68 – $0.841,1031
cincinnati bank$0.64 – $0.789030
new york credit union$1.56 – $1.921,3500
boston credit union$0.36 – $0.443304 – 6
texas credit union$0.80 – $0.984,5002 – 3
seattle credit union$1.15 – $1.419033 – 5
chicago home loan$1.08 – $1.32630
houston home loan$0.90 – $1.10290
tampa home loan$0.94 – $1.1692 – 3
kansas home loan$0.64 – $0.78331

Financial Consultants Targeting Banks & Credit Unions

 Vendor/AssociationDaily BudgetKeywords UsedPaid Clicks
ABA$269.67 – $468.332,818468
Bancvue$40.70 – $159.362327
Branch Xpress$13.28 – $47.30376
Cornerstone Advisors$29.61 – $63.7197572
CreditUnions.com$10.17 – $42.53515
CU iDiz$15.22 – $37.06104
CUNA$3.92 – $37.7241522
Credit Union Times$20.84 – $93.974918
Currency Marketing$3.84 – $10.4821
EHS Design$59.23 – $174.9510040
Financial Management Solutions$7.53 – $49.762916
FMS$82.17 – $246.3729174
JCDI$2.41 – $16.62181
LKCS$10.40 – $73.158413
Market Rates Insight$3.32 – $18.9751
NewGround$1.54 – $13.24211
Online Banking Report$20.42 – $53.0827533
ProfitStars$335.00 – $728.263,370511
The BA Group$16.55 – $82.805416
Third Degree Advertising$20.95 – $145.579127
Weber Marketing Group$24.78 – $91.8623426

Common Terms Used to Target Banks & Credit Unions

KeywordCost/ClickSearches/DayClicks/Day
credit union marketing$0.54 – $0.66977 – 10
credit union advertising$0.82 – $1.00206 – 8
credit union website$0.39 – $0.492201
bank marketing$0.50 – $0.6249317 – 24
bank advertising$0.66 – $0.823304 – 6
bank merchandising$0.56 – $0.6861
bank marketing plan$1.08 – $1.32113 – 4
bank consultant$0.67 – $0.8322012 – 16
bank branding$0.51 – $0.63201
bank brochures$0.57 – $0.69241
bank promotions$0.65 – $0.8149322 – 31
bank design$0.48 – $0.584931
bank architecture$0.40 – $0.50971
bank branch design$2.34 – $2.8870
financial marketing$0.90 – $1.106037 – 10
financial branding$0.83 – $1.01110
financial advertising$0.66 – $0.821207 – 9
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